Shogun season 2 is set 10 years later, brings back John Blackthorne

One of 2024’s best shows is one step closer to returning. This week, FX announced that its hit drama series Shogun will begin production on season 2 in January 2026.

Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, who adapted the James Clavell novel for TV, recently finished their writers’ room, which FX says was “devoted to creating a wholly original new chapter to the first season.” Shogun was initially supposed to be a miniseries, and as a result, the first season told the full story contained within the original novel.

We already knew that Hiroyuki Sanada was planning to return as Lord Yoshii Toranaga, but FX has now revealed that Cosmo Jarvis will reprise his role as the English sailor John Blackthorne as well. So far, those are the only confirmed cast members.

As for its plot, FX says that Shogun season 2 is set 10 years after the events of the first season, “and continues the historically-inspired saga of these two men from different worlds whose fates are inextricably entwined.” This will be an entirely original story, as Clavell never wrote a sequel to his 1975 novel Shogun.

The anticipation for season 2 is palpable after the first season won a record-breaking 18 Emmy Awards, garnered a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and became the most-viewed series in FX history. Kondo and Marks certainly have a difficult task ahead of them — look what happened to Game of Thrones when David Benioff and D.B. Weiss went off-book. Nevertheless, I can’t wait to return to this world when the new season arrives.